Thursday, June 30, 2011

I found this building in Sweetwater Tennessee. A very interesting town. I used a free background from DJ Pettitt, added some other textures to it, and placed some text. Enlarged with a double click to get the full impact. Hope everyone has a great evening!

Oh I love this, and I LOVE this building as well....always have!! You see, this is just about 15 miles from where I live, and we are there quite often!!! Sweetwater is the next little town just north of our town, and you're right, it's an interesting little town. Love what you've done with it. Thanks for sharing. Gail

Oh I love this and I LOVE this little building too....always have!! You see, this is just about 15 miles from me and we are there quite often. Sweetwater is the next little town just north of us and you're right, it is an interesting little place! Thanks for sharing this, I LOVE it!!Gail :)

About Me

Quote

You must not for one instant give up the effort to build new lives for yourselves. Creativity means to push open the heavy, groaning doorway to life. This is not an easy struggle. Indeed, it may be the most difficult task in the world, for opening the door to your own life is, in the end, more difficult than opening the door to the mysteries of the universe.Daisaku Ikeda

Digital Collage

King Crow

Creative Every Day Challenge

2014

Love this class

Soul Journaling

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Art Tip

When going through magazines cut out letters and save them. You can use these in collages and in your journal to make a statement.. Photograph signs and letters on buildings to also use in your art work.

Our Girl

mischief

Quote

"Vision is the art of seeing the invisible."Jonathon Swift

ATC

come fly with me

Comments

I just wanted to take the time to say Thank You for all of the nice an encouraging comments an e-mails I have received. I have tried to e-mail those of you I could back, so for those I could not, I just want you to know I tried. Your thoughts and comments have meant the world to me. I have also enjoyed and been inspired by the links to your blogs and web sites. Many of them will be listed in my favorites in the next few weeks. Again, Thank you! Elizabeth

"The Brother's"

chillin

A Wish for You

Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow is but a vision.But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day.sanskrit proverb

In a blender, pulse the lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chile, honey, salt, and cilantro to a puree. With the machine running slowly add the oil to emulsify. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Whisk before serving to make sure all is mixed.

This is also a good marinator for steaks and chicken.

Quote

Only those who look with the eyes of children can lose themselves in the object of their wonder.Eberhard Arnold

Sweetness

Gage

Beach Art Tip

This summer while out and about look for those natural things you can use in your art work. For instance... a walk on the beach is good exercise, barefoot along the shore is a natural pedicure, and some of those shells have pre-drilled holes in them to add to your artwork.A little glitter adds a whole new dimension to shells, Use those holes to add a hanger. Decorate a tree with them.

Combine sugar and one cup water in small saucepan over medium heat. Watch and stir till boils. Reduce heat and simmer for three to four minutes, stir every once in awhile. Remove from heat and cool completely. I pour it into lemonade pitcher and stick in frig for a half hour or so. Then combine the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Serve over ice with garnish. Makes about 2 1/2 quarts.

Topping1-5.1 ounce instant vanilla pudding2 1/3 cups milkBeat pudding mix and milk until thick. Spread layer of blueberry mixture in bottom of pie crust. Top with 1/2 pudding mix. Add more berry mixture. Top with the rest of the pudding. Chill for 2 hours. Garnish with whipped cream and fresh blueberries.Dig in.

ATC

Home

Our Budding Artist

I am three

Art Tip

From the kitchen to the studio is what I call this. I am sure you have seen or even own one of those revolving spice racks with all the jars in them. Spices are only good for a few months. So when they are all stale, clean out that spice rack and fill it with embellishments. Buttons, jacks, even fibers - those little plastic tops make ideal holes to thread your yarn and fibers to neatly pull them out as needed. The revolving part is cool because they are just fingertips away. I keep two in my studio and one on my sewing table. I found two at a garage sale for under five dollars.

Art Tip

Revolving Spice Rack-Embellishment Holder

I Am Four

I have ruby slippers.

Art Tip

Spice Rack Button Holder

Quote

The choices we make in thought, word, and deed inevitably return to us in kind.

ATC-digitally altered image for Monday Challenge group

Recipe for Yogurt Zinger

This is very refreshing and for those of you who don't like yogurt it gives it a fresh taste.

1 small container of yogurt2 fresh orangesa little honey 1tsp.or so

place yogurt in glass.squeeze oranges into yogurtadd honeywhisk with a hand whisk till mixedcrushed ice optionalDrink

Art Tip

A cheap an efficient cover for your work surface or art table is a plastic mattress cover. I prefer the crib sheet size. The elastic keeps it secure and the "slide factor" is cut down considerably. If you work at a dining room table a twin would work better. When ready to discard you can cut the cover up and use for a background for your artwork or sewing projects. Remember plastic will melt when heated. So watch your heatguns.

Canvas 3by5 Skinny - Fluff Your Nest

sewed and glued scraps from my work table

Hot Crab Dip

This is a staple along the coast here in North Carolina. Almost every restaurant or get together serves this in some variation.I thought this might be a nice addition to your Mother's Day festivities.Serves 6 to 8

Melt the cream cheese and butter in a topboiler over simmering water. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Heat all the way through and serve in a chafing dish.Serve with crackers or my personnal favorite those mini french bread loaves thinly sliced and warmed. Enjoy!

ATC

house

The Swans

Birds are my thing. I am fascinated by them. Always have been. If there was just one thing I could wish for it would be the ability to fly. To soar. I would like to share some of my bird friends with you along with some bird art. These two swans are Nicholas and Alexandra. They live in one of the lakes in my neighborhood just about a half a football field away from the intercoastal waterway. We have around nine to twelve pairs that live here. These two own this lake an usually have around 11 to 13 cygnets. Only about half survive. After almost four years they come and swim right up to me on my daily walk. It is amazing. Nicholas has to check me out before Alexandra is allowed near. She is easily bored. Nicholas being the typical male lets me admire his strength and beauty. He is quite the poser. North Carolina has one of the largest winter population of birds. Swans in particular. They all go to a place called Pocosin Lakes. It is a huge wildlife refuge. More Info http://www.fws.gov/pocosinlakes/Can you imagine seeing a 100,000 tundra swans?

Swans

Nicholas & Alexandra

Swans

Alexandra

Swans

Nicholas

Quote

A picture is a poem without words.Horace

Natural Containers for Dips and Snacks

Many vegetables may be hollowed out and used as a container for dips. Squashes and peppers of various kinds make beautiful containers. For individual dip bowls use tomatoes. Plus the tomatoes can be eaten when empty. Kids really like these. Even using fruit hollowed out with cheese cubes, grapes and raisins make a cool snack. Plus no clean up.With summer approaching there will be an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits to use.

Recipe for Powdered Laundry Soap

For a light load of laundry use 1 tablespoonFor a heavy load of laundry use 2 tablespoonsSource; thefrugalshopper.com/

4 by 4

For "Size matters Swap"

Art Tip

Do you have some crusty brushes you can't use laying around? or how about stamps with dried acrylic paint on them?A little Murphy's Oil soap will do wonders. Soak your brushes in Murphy's Oil Soap. You will see the paint or gel medium start to dissolve. Rinse with cool water. Repeat if necessary. For stamps pour soap into a flat tray or dish, set stamp in tray. Let soak. Use a tooth brush to gently dislodge paint and rinse. Good as new. Also, the soap helps keep your wood mount from drying out.

Maya Angelou

Quote

If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform a million realities. Maya Angelou

Put the garlic in a food processer until minced. Add the onion, peppers and process with on and off pulses until barely chopped.Add the tomatoes and cilantro and process until combined but sort of chunky. Add lemon, salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate till time to serve.Serve with large tortilla chips.

Frieda Kahlo

most famous woman mexican artist

Art Tip

Keep a camera handy at all times. make it a habit to take it with you even if it is to the grocery store. Some times even the most mundane things if captured the right way can become art. The line of a chair, the way the weeds look in fall, an old door falling off its hinges. You can also use it for remembering color combinations. The way that rusted barrel looked next to the purple salvia. Things like that. We often think we will remember that scene, those lines, the way those textures mixed together, but we don't. Think of your camera as a visual journal. You can print small thumbnails as reminders. Just enough visual reminder to re-inspire you.

North Carolina Farmhouse

Desserted

Quote

People become what they expect themselves to become.Mahatma Gandhi

ATC - with poker chip

sing

Art Tip

What do with all that junk jewelry that is laying around in boxes and drawers. Just waiting to be that perfect embellishment piece for your latest art project. I found that if I displayed some of them I was more likely to use them. So I have this ugly lampshade in my studio - just plain white, but very big. So I took ribbon and hooked it to the top of the lampshade with decorated bobby pins and pinned all my junk brooches on them. When the light is on on the jewels shine and I am constantly reminded of what I have.

Art Tip

junk jewelry on ribbon

Onion Cheese Bread

This is a great bread to serve with a fresh salad or marinated tomatoes or olives.

Yard Sale Find

3 long dresses with price tags for under $2.00

Art Tip

Speaking of scraps...now is the time to pick up denim and fabric scraps. Yard sales are a great source of inexpensive fabric. You can usually purchase a dress or shirt for under a dollar. Where can you buy fabric that cheap? Also keep an eye out for clothing with unusual buttons or beading that you can use. I like to buy jeans and cut them up. They make great background for fabric books and can be cut up to make homemade paper. So get a couple of art buddies together, map out a route, split the gas and go bargain hunting.

Scrap Paper ATC

friend

Quote

Courage does not always roar. Sometimes, it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying...I will try again tomorrow.

Needle felted ATC

Tom's Green Pepper Jelly

Mix peppers, sugar and cider together in a pot. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to stand for five minutes. Add bottle of pectin. Pour into sterilized half pint jars and seal. Makes 4 pints.Serve with cream cheese and crackers. I also like this on toast with scrambled eggs.

Needle felted ATC

flower #2

Quote

"Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as paint, and the soil and sky as canvas."Elizabeth Murray

3" by 5" Skinny

mermaid - magic

3" by 5" Skinny

mermaid - think green

3" by 5" Skinny

mermaid - beauty

Quote

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."John F. Kennedy

2 by 2

Pepperoni Dip

Combine sour cream and pepperoni. You can add 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or onion salt if you like. Store covered in refrigerator for 2 days. To serve, allow dip to come to room temperature. Carefully hollow out round loaf of bread, leaving around 1 inch around sides and across the bottom of loaf. Tear this center section of bread into bite size pieces. Place dip in loaf and surround with bread pieces.